Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1887-08-12
WASHINGTON LETTER.
tFrom our Regular Correspondence

WASHINGTON, August 9th, 1887
If the Democratic party Is responsible
for anything it certainly is for the gov
ernment of the District Of Columbia and
the city of Washington-both being un.
der the direct control of Mr.. Cleveland
himself yet, this is the only place in
the United States where the people have
boldly met in public, denounced these
rulers as corrupt and inefficient and de-
mand their resignation or removal at the
hands of the President, as the penalty
for their misgovermont. The City and
District are governed by three Commits
sioners, who were appointed by Presi-
dent Cleveland; and ever since their ad-
vent to power, affairs have gone from
bad to worse; one of the Commissioners
has bought $500 horse and other per-
sonal property at public expense; but,
what has given greatest dissatisfaction
is the advance in water rates and the
discovery that the water accounts are
in n bad condition, giving rise to the
conviction that there is crookeduess in
that department. Then the Commits
sioners have promulgated new and un-
necessary city ordinances, the enforce
ment of which is inconvenient and vex-
atious to the citizens, besides being bur
densome to the poorer class of people.
The charges against the Commissioners
are before the Pre- sident and his action
is awaited with much interest.
The scales are beginning TO fall from
the wondering eyes of the civil.service
reformers, and many of these goodly
men now sadly realize that they have
been misguided into believing that the
mere shadow of reform was its sub
stance.
Mr.. George VIM. Curtis, the Grand
Mogul of the Mugwumps, for moment
shakes off the gloom and grief that en-
shrouds him, to confess his disappoint-
ment at the untoward result of his ex.
pertinent with Nast's Democratic Tiger,
yet like the true devotee that he is, he
still clngs to Cleveland, his fallen idol,
with the consoling reflection that it
might have been worse ! Mr.. Curtis
finds that the civil service act applies to
about H. 900 of the 1l5.000 Federal Of
fees that there are some 1000 leading
offices, with patronage to dispense and
that in the twenty-nine months of
Cleveland's administration he had ap-
pointed As, 900 Democrats in these plac.
es-a record that tells its own story.
Mr.. kepler, the gifted artist of Puck,
has been in Washington this week. it is
said with the avowed intention of
strengthening out the kinks in "reform"
and capturing the scalp OF the offending
Higgins, but fear he has met with but
little encouragement.
The bond circular of Secretary Fair
child, while harmless of itself, may
well be regarded as a storm signal by
the financial interchangeable to the
unsound fiscal policy of the Democracy
in impotently permitting the accumula.
ton OF the vast treasury surplus. In
considering Mr.. Faifchiid's action, and
the reasons he gives therefor, / can but
conclude that the young Secretary is a
gulleless iinancler who has yet to cut
his eye-teeth, The Treasury Depart
ment reports for the month of July a
decrease Of 6,563, 74S in cash on hand
andian increase of $i,047, 1873 in the cir
cluation-the former being chiefly in
gold certificates and the latter in stand
ard silver dollars and certificates there
was decrease in the circulation of
national bank-notes.
Another Treasury scandal is in the air
something like the Harvey affair
though efforts are being made to cover
1t up by Controller Durham who denies
1t. To state the matter briefly, it ap-
pears that through the ignorance or
negligence of the Treasury officials a
big batch of California land surveying
accounts that were paid many years ago
have been worked over and paid again.
When interviewed upon the frauds.
Commissioner Sparks was decidedly
non-committal and his manner was
such as to impress one with the truth
fulness of the charge. Full details can
not now be given. 1t is no secret that
the Controller and the Commissioner
have long been at loGgerheads officially
Bacon's bondsmen have notified the
government that they are ready to
make good his alleged shortage as soon
as the amount is certified to officially.
About twenty patent Attorneys of Il Q
District of Columbia who borrowed S..
900 from the late financial clerk and
failed to repay ii have been warned that
unless they refund the sum at once it
Will be deemed IA sufficient reason to de-
bar them from further practice before
the Interior Department..
There was scion and few sprigs of
royalty all the way from Siam in the
Capital few days since they were
formally received by the President with
the usual interchange of commonplace
S'Hi ''o'No ihbihtllt " Sutll an Occasion.
The Prince whose name dare not write
for fear of the possible injury it might
ntiict upon the jaws of my readers,
was fivorably impressed aud pronounc-
ed Washington more beautiful e ty
than his own capital he took among
his souvenirs some of the photographs
of Mrs. Cleveland and chips from the
Washington monument.
Jefferson Davis ought either to get him.
self naturaIized or else cease from further
endeavors to interfere with the mai ers
and things Of Il country which dlsowns
him just as he disowned it,-PhRadelphia
Telegraph.
Give Them u Chance!
That's to say, your lungs. Also all your